3% today…30% in years? 100% in decades?

After a prolonged absence, mogas is returning to airports, thanks to steady efforts by a consortium lead by Dean Billing and Kent Misegades, our very own GAFuels bloggers. The numbers appear small today, even if they function to help you find cheaper and cleaner mogas as an alternative to 100LL.

About 3% of airports presently offer mogas. But these numbers will go only one direction assuming recent fuel trends continue.

While all fuel is getting more expensive, mogas remains much less costly than avgas. Since Rotax, Jabiru, and Lycoming accommodate automobile fuel blends now, since 100LL has a questionable future, and since the price of 100LL has always been substantially more than mogas, how can we not expect mogas at airports to increase?

The folks at Fly Unleaded have a growing list of airports offering the auto go-juice. The list is maintained by GAFuels co-author Dean Billing. While the number offering 100LL slowly drops, the mogas suppliers continues to grow. The converts just keep on coming.

Writes Kent Misegades, “New England pilots have another reason to be happy this summer. Coming on the heels of news from earlier this month regarding the Sanford Regional Airport, we just learned that Dexter Regional Airport (1B0) in Dexter Maine, now offers 91 octane, ethanol-free, lead-free autogas for sale.”

“The airport’s manager, Roger Nelson, described the new service, ‘We recently installed a dual-fuel self-service system consisting of two 5,200 gallon tanks for avgas and autogas. All but two of the aircraft based on the airfield use autogas, since it is what our pilots prefer. All of our hangars are now filled, we have a waiting list, and are planning to build more hangars.'”

“Roger also stated that the airport will sell ethanol-free autogas to anyone, and has already made significant sales to boaters and landscaping companies for their lawn equipment. ‘We had one person describe the $600 expense he had for repairs to his boat’s motor as a result of ethanol in gasoline,’ noted Nelson. ‘Boaters in our area are happy to find a source of ethanol-free fuel at our airport, and we are seeing many new airplanes stopping in for a top-off.'”

Even more recently, a grassroots effort started by recreational pilots in California’s Central Valley and supported by the free Aviation Fuel Club, Clear Gas is now ready to supply airports in that state with lead-free, ethanol-free premium autogas, an FAA-approved aviation fuel since 1982.